1908-D $10 Motto (Regular Strike)

Ron Guth:

In keeping with David Akers' narrative below, the 1908-D $10 With Motto is a common coin in most grades, including Mint State grades up to (and including) MS63. In MS64, the population drops significantly, then drops even more precipitously in MS65. Akers claim that "relatively few specimens exist better than MS-63" is not borne out by recent population reports. In fact, the PCGS CoinFacts Condition Census includes ten coins that are MS66 and better. The two best pieces are a pair of PCGS MS-68's. The monster Eliasberg-Akers-Duckor PCGS MS68 sold for a record $230,000 in 2006. In 2004 the Price-Michaels-Simpson PCGS MS68 sold for what appears to be the bargain price of $86,250.

David Akers (1975/88): The 1908-D With Motto has one of the highest mintage figures of the entire series, yet it is one of the rarest issue in gem condition, nearly as rare as the 1908-D No Motto, whose mintage was only one-fourth as great. This only shows once again that mintages are often an inaccurate barometer of rarity, especially among 20th-century gold issues. In every Mint State grade, this issue is very rare, and relatively few specimens exist better than MS-63. Eliasberg's was really superb, at least MS-65+, and with a strong claim to MS-67, as was Norweb's. A piece in my personal collection is of equal quality, Kruthoffer's (now owned by Dr. Steven Duckor) is a high end MS-65 and there are others that are true gems, including specimens owned by Ed Trompeter, Dr. Thaine Price and a prominent Eastern collector.

The 1908-D With Motto is typically well struck and the lustre is almost always very good to excellent. The surfaces have just a trace of very fine granularity and typically have a strong tendency toward a satiny texture. The color on most high-grade specimens is the same, light to medium orange gold, often with greenish gold highlights.